Resident Evil: Resurrection
by Vimuku
Summary: Wesker returns, and this time, he plans to revive Umbrella from the dead. Leon, after supposedly dying on a mission and miraculously coming back to life by unknown means, finds himself tangled up within this twisted plot, along with some old friends...
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

He should be dead.

After being shot four times through the chest, natural law clearly stated that he should be dead.

But he knew by now that man had a way of messing with the natural order, changing it to fit his own twisted desires.

Trying to play God.

They never learned.

…

He should've died.

Either someone up there really liked him, or someone down here really wanted to use him.

He was going to go with the latter.

But it wasn't like he was going to go with this quietly. He had a mission: to scrub this virus off the face of the earth.

And that was exactly what he going to do.

**EDIT* Yeah, I forgot to add the prologue... Stupid me...**


	2. Chapter 1

**Well, here we are, folks. Wheee, another RE story, XD**

**So, I thought of this after watching Degeneration, and it will be a post-Degeneration fic. I hope I got the timeline all right because I did quite a bit of research to make sure everything was correct D:**

**But, either way, I hope you enjoy!!!**

**Chapter 1**

No way.

Those two words were repeatedly running through Claire Redfield's head as she gawked at the man standing in front of her.

The man himself was ordinary enough. Dressed in a typical business suit with shiny polished shoes, he looked every bit the everyday worker bee.

No, it was the words he had uttered that shocked Claire to her very foundation.

After the reoccurrence of that nightmare in Harvardville, which had been only a month ago, she had thought it was all over. No more zombies, no more crazy scientists developing insane new viruses. Why didn't they ever learn? The things they created in the name of science only brought horror that no one ever should experience.

The man had introduced himself as Max Irwell from the TriCell Corporation, a pharmaceutical company and had explained that he was looking for an old friend of hers, Leon Scott Kennedy.

A few days earlier, an anonymous phone call had arrived, warning her of the TriCell Corporation, saying that Raccoon City would come back to bite her in the butt.

It had bothered her for the past few days, and she had only realized what it meant when Mr. Irwell came to visit, asking about Leon.

"Ms. Redfield, are you feeling alright?"

Claire snapped out of her daze, "Uh, I'm afraid I can't help you. I actually haven't seen Leon in a while. What did you need him for?"

"We just need his expertise for a certain project. If he does contact you, please notify him that the TriCell Corporation would like to meet him. Here's our card." He handed a small white card emblazoned with the TriCell logo and basic contact information.

"I'll be sure to do that," Claire said, knowing that she would never use the information on the card.

Max inclined his head, "Thank you for your cooperation." He left her porch and returned to the sleek, black car that was waiting for him.

Claire shut the door and tossed the card onto a table beside the door. Rani came out of the hallway, "Who was that, Claire?"

Claire smiled reassuringly, "No one. You feeling hungry? I was going to make some spaghetti for lunch."

Rani nodded, "Okay." She took her seat at the dining table as Claire dug around through the kitchen to find the necessary ingredients. She quietly stared into space, eyes lost in thought.

Claire glanced at the little girl; Rani had been much more subdued these past months and with good reason. She was just getting over the nightmares that had plagued her since the incident at Harvardville airport, no thanks to that fat asshole of a senator.

Speaking of that particular senator, she had heard Ron Davis was assassinated, not long after the whole WilPharma mess. She hadn't shed much tears for Mr. Davis, but she did find it odd that he died just after TriCell bought the remains of WilPharma.

Claire frowned as she put two and two together; what was up with this TriCell company anyway? Were they truly trying to mass produce a vaccine or were they just trying to use the virus for their own diabolical plans?

It was hard to tell. After her mistake with WilPharma, she wasn't so quick to jump to conclusions anymore, especially when it came to this particular virus.

After dumping the noodles into the water and setting it to boil, she rummaged around the cabinets, trying to find where the meat sauce was. While she was searching through the fridge, the doorbell rang.

Claire frowned; she hoped it wasn't Max again. "Who is it?" she asked as she headed for the door. The doorbell answered in reply.

Claire opened the door and for the second time today, felt her jaw drop.

Standing before her was none other than Leon Scott Kennedy.

He looked the same as the last time she saw him, except a pair of shades hid his baby blues. The corners of his lips pulled up when he saw her reaction, "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Claire's response had been automatic. She certainly had not been expecting this; first that TriCell guy and now…

It couldn't be a coincidence.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"Oh," Cliare moved aside and gestured, "Come on in."

"Don't mind if I do."

Claire closed the door, "Can I get you anything? Water? Juice?"

"Nah, I'm alright." He sniffed the air and frowned, "Is something burning?"

Rani ran into the room, "Claire!! You put too much water into the pot!!!"

Claire blinked and remembered she had left the spaghetti on the stove. And now it was burning.

"Shit!!"

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

After cleaning up the whole mess with the help of Rani and Leon, Claire collapsed into of the seats at the dining table, "Sorry about that. Just trying to make some lunch." Rani, noting that the two wanted some privacy, retreated to her room.

Leon took a seat beside her, his tone teasing, "It was a good try."

Claire smiled and noticed that he was still wearing the shades, "You know, when you're inside, you don't really have need for those."

Leon smiled enigmatically, "I'm not going to stay long."

Suspicious. "Suit yourself. You know, a TriCell guy came looking for you."

"Hmmm. What you say to him?"

"Well, I played the cooperative, cordial citizen and told him I'd alert him if you made contact with me. Why are they after you in the first place?"

"I ran into some trouble on my last mission."

"Okaaay, explain."

"Hmmm, let's just say I'm a hot new item, and I'm in demand right now."

Claire rolled her eyes at his dry humor, "Very funny. Seriously, what do they want you for? And were you the one who called me?"

"How'd you guess it was me?"

Claire grinned, "Just a hunch. Answer my question."

A sigh. "I just came by to tell that you should get out of here. While you can."

Claire raised an eyebrow, "Sounds serious."

"Yeah. So try to take it seriously."

Claire nodded, "Okay, anything else?"

"Watch out for Wesker as well."

Claire frowned, "Wesker?"

Leon nodded, "He's got something to do with this. I just don't know what."

Disturbing news, indeed. If Wesker was involved, then the whole thing just got really complicated. After calling Rani's aunt, who was out of town, she was going to book the next flight outta here.

Leon stood, "I should get going."

Claire stood as well, "I guess it really would be too much to hope that the next time we meet would be actually normal."

Leon mustered a smile, "It could happen." He raised a hand in farewell, "I'll see you around, Claire."

She waved goodbye as he descended her porch, "Hopefully not too soon."

But as she closed the door, she had a feeling that she would be seeing a lot of Leon S. Kennedy and soon.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Claire zipped up her suitcase as she called out, "Rani, you done getting your stuff?"

"Almost!!"

Claire heaved the suitcase out into the hallway and poked her head into Rani's room. Her smaller suitcase was filled almost to the brim with clothes, and Rani was busy adding some of her miscellaneous items, a photograph of her parents, some books, and a few other little trinkets.

After Rani was done, she asked Claire, "Where are we going?"

"We're not going anywhere far, don't worry. We're just going out of town for a little vacation."

"Are we running away from the bad men?"

Claire paused in the shutting of Rani's bag and looked at the little girl, "What makes you think that?"

Rani stared down at her feet, "I heard you talking to the man earlier. He's the one who rescued us from the airport, right? Why aren't you fighting the bad men? Like you used to?"

Claire sighed, "Well, sometimes you can't always fight the bad men. There are times when you need to run away so that things'll be better."

Rani suddenly ran up to Claire and buried her face into the older woman's chest, "Don't leave me, Claire. I'm scared."

Claire gently petted the girl's head, "It's alright, Rani, I'm not going to-" She frowned; she heard a noise coming from the hallway. She quickly pushed Rani into the closet and shut the door, hissing, "Stay there and be quiet."

Three men burst into the room, each of them identical to the order due to the black uniforms and gas masks they wore. All three had their rifles pointed straight at her chest.

"Don't try anything funny," one of them said, Claire wasn't sure who, "And you won't get hurt."

Claire slowly raised her hands up in surrender, "Alright."

One of them approached her and grabbed her wrist to pull behind her back when she jerked out of his grip, kneed him hard in the groin, and wrenched the rifle from his grasp.

She turned, quickly shot down the other two before they could react, and ran out into the hallway, expecting more of them.

But instead of more soldiers, there only was-

"Wesker," Claire whispered, staring at the blonde man before her.

Wesker smiled, "Hello, Claire." He lunged at her, and all was darkness.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Claire groggily returned to consciousness, head throbbing from the blow Wesker had landed earlier. She was tied down to a generic metal chair, centered in stone-walled room. In one corner was a toilet, which explained the nauseating smell of excrement and in another corner was a drab cot.

There were no windows, only a single metal door that she seriously doubted she could break through.

She was a prisoner.

It wasn't the first time, but needless to say, she had no desire to be in such a position ever again. And she didn't think that this time there would be a friendly guy willing to unlock the door and set her free.

Dammit all.

"Ah, our princess has awakened."

Claire glanced around, noticing that the voice was coming from the speakers in the upper corners, partially hidden by the shadows, which was why she hadn't seen them before. "What do you want with me?" she asked levelly.

"Nothing at all. I just need you to sit tight until your friend comes along. You see, you're the perfect bait to lure out Mr. Kennedy."

Claire bristled at the remark, "What do you want with him anyway?"

"All in good time, Ms. Redfield, all in good time."

"Well can you at least release my arms? I need to use the bathroom."

No response.

"Perfect," Claire muttered under her breath, "I'm stuck here with a lunatic. This is just fantastic." She wondered if Rani managed to escape capture. She hoped so. The poor girl didn't need any more traumatic memories.

She yawned; her head was still hurting, and mentally she was exhausted.

A quick… nap… wouldn't… hurt…

…

Gunfire.

Claire jolted awake to the sound of gunfire, just outside her door. The steel door was blown off its hinges and in the doorway stood-

"Leon!!" Claire cried, "You idiot, why'd you come?"

Leon moved to untie the bonds on Claire's wrists, "Is that really any way to be treating your rescuer?"

"He wanted you!!! I was just bait, this guy's really after you!!!"

"Yeah, I figured. But your brother's occupied right now, so who else was going to save your ass?" Claire could have sworn Leon's eyes were dancing in amusement behind those shades.

Leon took her wrist, "Come on. Let's get outta here."

"Where are we anyway?" Claire asked as they ran out of the little shack that had been her prison.

"It's an unnamed island off the coast. Small, unnoticeable, not a bad place to keep a hostage."

"How'd you find me?"

"I had a friend keep tabs on you, just in case."

"What about Rani? Is she-"

"She's safe."

They were running through a dense forest now, and Claire had to be careful to avoid all the branches. Leon, however, seemed to moving through effortlessly, his gait like that of a predator stalking its prey.

"Ah, looks like someone let the dogs out."

Several Cerberus could be heard baying and barking as they tracked down Claire and Leon.

Leon handed Claire his handgun as he pulled out his combat knife. Claire frowned at his weapon, "You're not seriously gonna go after a bunch of rabid, man-eating dogs with just that. Don't you have a grenade launcher or something?"

"A grenade launcher?"

"Yeah, how else could you have blasted open my door?"

Leon dodged a lunge from a Cerberus just as Claire shot down one that tried a leaping bite at her.

Leon jammed the knife into the base of the zombie dog's skull and wrenched it out in time to evade an attack from another Cerberus. It crashed into the ground, clearly not expecting to miss its prey, and Leon crushed its head with a booted heel, eliciting a satisfying squish.

Leon slammed his foot into another leaping Cerberus trying to take a bite out him as he threw his knife into the head of another. Claire finished off the one he had just kicked and shot down the last of the pack.

Leon picked up his knife and wiped the blood off using the leaves of a bush as Claire returned the handgun to him.

"Explain," she said tersely.

Leon glanced over his shoulder, "How about we get off this island first, and then we'll talk."

Claire looked at the corpses of the Cerberus and nodded.

The ran out of the forest, and Leon said, "A copter should be waiting for us arou-"

The helicopter crashed before them in a fury of flames and screeching metal. The resulting explosion sent the two flying through the air, crashing back into the density of the forest.

Claire shook her head; she wasn't too damaged, thanks to Leon for shielding her in time. Beside her, Leon groaned as he tried to get up into a sitting position. He winced at the sharp pain that shot up from his lower back.

Claire noticed a piece of shrapnel embedded in his flesh, "Shit. This is gonna hurt." Claire pulled out the metal shard as fast and as painlessly as she could, and still Leon had to clamp his teeth down so as to not cry out in pain.

Claire looked up to examine his face, "You hurt anywhe-" What she saw made her stop dead in her tracks. Leon's face was uninjured, but his glasses had been blown away, revealing something that left Claire speechless. It didn't belong on Leon's face, it was alien, foreign.

Yellow cat-like eyes.


	3. Chapter 2

**And here's the next chapter…**

**Chapter 2**

Ada Wong was relieved that she was moderately successful at keeping her emotions hidden. She had a lot of practice, but in the presence of this one man, she felt uneasy, especially since it seemed that he could see right through her façade, as if it were as transparent as glass.

Albert Wesker quietly circled her, like a fierce beast would its prey, and it was not a position Ada particularly enjoyed being in. As she stood uncomfortably, she wondered why she wasn't dead yet. Wesker had given hints that he had known of her betrayal, yet the man exuded not anger, but lazy content.

His red, yellow cat eyes bored into hers; he no longer hid them from her, not since he had noticed that she knew something was inhuman about him. But that was all that she had been able to find out about the mysterious man.

Albert Wesker was quite the enigma, a puzzle she could not solve. And as a spy, knowledge was power, so having no knowledge really made you quite powerless.

"So, Ada," Wesker said casually, "You're trying to say that you didn't know it was a fake sample?"

"I'm not trying," Ada said easily, "I really didn't know it was a fake."

Wesker sat down on a cushioned swivel chair behind his desk, which was cluttered with documents, a laptop, and various other office equipment, "I figure that a woman as capable as you would have manage to realize fake from real."

"Well, I was running off an island that was set to blow," Ada said calmly, "It seemed best that I didn't waste any time."

Wesker smiled, an almost threatening gesture, "Enough with the lies, Ada. You had the trigger for the bomb, I don't think it would've taken you too long to inspect the sample. But…" From his pocket, Wesker drew the sample, the real one.

Ada did her best not to show any surprise, but she knew Wesker could easily pierce through her mask as if it were flimsy tissue paper.

Wesker toyed with it in his hands, "Luckily we managed to get our hands on the real sample. A branch of our company bought it from a hired mercenary not too long ago… I don't suppose you would know who it was, Ada?"

Ada gritted her teeth, only now realizing what had occurred. Wesker had anticipated her every move, right down to her final betrayal. She had thought she played him, but in reality, she had only been his pawn, nothing more.

Damn him.

Ada had to give the man credit. He kept everything carefully hidden from her, and Ada was not an easy woman to fool. Years of working as a spy had honed her perceptiveness, to be able to read people almost flawless.

Except Albert Wesker.

Wesker clearly saw her outrage of being outwitted and smirked, "So, now the question is… What shall I do with you, Ada?"

Ada stiffened, remembering that Wesker was probably going to kill her. There would be no escape. Even if she managed to get out of Wesker's office, there was the elevator to consider. And she doubted that she would be able to incapacitate without some high caliber weaponry. All she had currently was a pistol and knife in her leg holster, and she seriously had misgivings on whether it would be enough to take Wesker down.

Wesker lazily pushed aside all the documents spread over his mahogany desk and slid a manila folder towards her, "Your next assignment."

Ada stared at the folder, "What?"

Wesker smiled, enjoying the confusion on her face, "Assignment, Ada. I do believe you know the definition of the term?"

"Why are you giving me an assignment?" Ada asked bluntly. She didn't care anymore. She was tired of the cat and mouse games, tired of all the bull he put her through, tired of his manipulative ways.

"Why not?"

Ada flicked her eyes up to Wesker, who only had an annoying smirk on his lips. She reached the desk in a few strides and picked up the folder. She may be tired, but she would have to live with this hell. She valued her life too much right now.

Her eyes narrowed when his smirk widened. But soon… One day, she would bring down this son of a bitch, and he'd be the puppet on her strings.

For now, she would bear with it. His taunting gaze, his condescending remarks, his cold, calculating mind. She'd live with it.

But only for now.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Ada mused over that last conversation with Wesker as she stared out the window of the helicopter. It had been over a year since that little exchange, and the only contact she had with Wesker had been brief reports over radio.

This mission had been keeping her especially busy, to track down every member of Wesker's old S.T.A.R.S. team, particularly Chris Redfield. It had proven not to be an easy task, especially for the eldest Redfield, who seemingly disappeared after the little altercation on Rockfort Island and the Antarctica base.

Just recently she had discovered the locations of the other three surviving members, Jill Valentine, Barry Burton, and Rebecca Chambers. After the fall of Umbrella, they had returned to normal lives, keeping in touch now and then, which was how Ada found all three at once.

Of course, they no longer felt they needed to keep their guard up, but they were smart enough to keep their tracks well hidden.

Ada had decided to first head to L.A., which was where Jill Valentine presently lived in. It seemed that the ex-S.T.A.R.S. member was working as a bodyguard for hire.

Ada smiled to herself; Ms. Valentine may be a bodyguard, but she couldn't be able to protect herself from this.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Jill was polishing her gun for what seemed to be the millionth time as she stood, very unprofessionally, by the door of her new boss. After exploring the marble hallway, she truend to cleaning her gun, which was starting to lose its amusement, not that it had been amusing in the first place.

Just recently had she become the bodyguard for Mr. Don Frost, who was a rich man with a lot of enemies. Her former boss had been a lecherous, old man, who she preferred not to name. She'd gotten herself fired after punching his wrinkled face after he tried to grope her ass.

She rolled her eyes at the memory and checked the clip for the Beretta. Full, as it had been before.

Booooring.

Jill yawned, stretching her arms over her head, wondering just when exactly was the stupid meeting going to end. Whatever, she was getting paid to nothing, and that was pretty good, except for the fact it was making her really uneasy.

You'd figure that she'd love a quiet life after the Raccoon City incident, but if she had a desk job, she'd go crazy. She liked action in her life, but zombies were just a bit too much.

She shuddered involuntarily at the thought of the undead. The nightmares still hadn't left her, even though she had encountered them twice now in her life. It just wasn't something you could get used to. Blowing out the brains of something that once used to be human. She had learned that you couldn't start getting mushy in the middle of battle, it was what got her through the whole mess. But that was a whole different story once she got out, physically safe, but emotionally scarred.

Luckily she had friends to empathize with her, Barry and Rebecca. Both were leading pretty normal lives, Barry working as a field operative and Becca as a pharmacist. Like Jill, Barry just couldn't stay out of the action and as soon as he moved to New York, and joined some other task force that he didn't bother to name in his emails.

Becca, on the other hand, was running a small pharmacy in Oregon, where she had gone to visit an old friend initially, but decided to stay there, stating that there was no way zombies would get her there.

They had remained close in the past few years, but the one that Jill hadn't caught up with was Chris Redfield, who just disappeared a while back. She wondered if he was in trouble again, or perhaps just busy looking for his sister.

Jill glanced up when she heard the sound of heels clicking against the hard floor and noticed an Asian woman in a slinky red dress, strutting down the hall.

The woman stopped in front of Jill, "Would you happen to know a Mr. Frost?"

Jill cautiously eyed the woman, seemed harmless enough, "I work for him."

The woman smiled, "Excellent." She whipped out a gun and held it at Jill's heart, "Drop the gun."

Jill winced at the metal digging into her flesh and quickly decided that following orders would be the best response. At least for now. The Beretta hit the ground with a loud clatter, but she doubted that the people inside would hear.

"Now, come."

Jill turned to walk in the direction the woman gestured, but as she did, she dropped and lashed out her leg, knocking the woman down on her back. Jill wrenched the gun from the Asian's grasp as she grabbed her own and pointed both at the woman's throat, "Who are you?"

Despite the fact that she was in obvious danger, the woman continued to smile, "Ada Wong."

"Well, you mind telling me what's going on?"

"I tried to kill you. Simple as that."

Jill snorted, "You wanted to take me somewhere. Why?"

"Obviously, I don't want to alarm the people in there. It'll make my getaway more difficult."

Jill narrowed her eyes, "Well, you should've killed me while you had the chance."

"Oh, I don't think there's any need for that." Ada lunged and pressed a knife into Jill's throat, the sharp blade drawing blood.

Jill inwardly cursed at her slowness. This woman was reckless, something Jill hadn't expected.

"Now that we've evened things out a little bit, I've got something important to tell you. Wesker. He's going to bring back Umbrella."

Jill nearly dropped the guns. Wesker… Every time his named popped up, it had changed her life for the worse. Now he was planning something again, and whatever it was, it couldn't be good. "No way. We finished Unbrella. It's gone for good."

"Not while Wesker's around. If you want to make sure Umbrella never comes back, you have to crush him."

Jill tightened her grip on the guns, just in case this girl tried something, "Why are you telling me this?"

Ada smiled and removed the knife from her throat. She grabbed the letter slipped in with her gun and handed it to Jill, "Meet here at that exact time. Don't be late."

And then she walked towards where she came from, leaving Jill to stand alone in the hallway. Jill clutched the letter, almost afraid to read what was inside.

Throughout her anti-Umbrella career, Umbrella's death was all she'd worked for, and when it was gone, the burden had been finally relieved. And now… Now Umbrella was going to return with Wesker at the head.

Her hands balled into fists; she wouldn't let that happen. She couldn't let that monster go on and bring back the terrors she had lived through in the Arklay Mountains and Raccoon City.

She wouldn't let that happen.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Ada rode the elevator to the roof, where the chopper was waiting. She leapt in and gestured for the pilot to take off as she strapped another gun, identical to the one she had lost, to the holder on her leg.

Now… One down, two to go.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

"Leon… Your eyes."

Leon quickly averted his gaze, but the damage had been done. She had seen it. He stood up quickly, ignoring the pain in his back, "We should probably find some cover."

"Don't change the subject."

Leon winced at the harshness of her tone; Claire was usually a sweet girl, but getting on her bad side was never a good idea. He half-turned and saw Claire glaring at him, arms crossed.

"What happened?"

No point in hiding the truth from her anymore. "I was sent on a mission shortly after the Harvardville incident, this time to Austria. I was on my way to get information…"

**A Few Months Earlier…**

Leon kicked open the door of the warehouse, dismissing the dark vibe it gave off. Hunnigan had told him to meet his informant.

It had been stupid of him, careless. He should've been wary at all times, but he decided to relax his guard, a grave mistake.

He didn't know who shot him, he had been hidden in the darkness, but luckily, from a sheer fluke, he managed to avoid a fatal wound by tripping over the uneven floor. The bullet still ripped through his shoulder, and he felt agonizing pain as scorching metal tore through muscle and flesh. He panicked at first, alarmed at the sight of blood and the sensation of pain, but slowly regained his composure, deciding the best idea right them was to run.

He ran back toward the way her came, using a first aid spray to staunch the blood flow of his shoulder wound. It didn't completely ease the pain, but at least he wouldn't die from blood loss.

Leon was ready, gun in hand, just in case this guy tried to hit him again. But his attacker managed to sneak up on him from behind, quiet enough so that even Leon, with years of reflexes and training to guide him, couldn't hear. Whoever this guy was, he was as stealthy as any tiger.

Another bullet shredded through him, and another, and another. But he barely felt the sting of the last two bullets. His body was starting to feel numb and darkness was creeping at the corners of his eyes.

He was dying.

Well, shit.

He struggled to cling on to life, but there was no use. Blood was profusely dribbling out of his multiple wounds, and his vision was growing blurry. He felt completely drained of strength, and he wondered how his legs were able to keep him upright.

Then he realized that he was on the ground, and he could vaguely feel the cold dampness of it, although at this point he didn't care very much. The last thing he heard were the thud of heavy boots against the ground approaching. He tried to keep his eyes open, so he could see who exactly his assailant was, but the darkness swallowed him.

He'd woken up in a puddle of his own blood mixed in with the dirt and grease on the floor. Confused and bleary, he somehow made it out of the warehouse and to a nearby inn where he was staying.

He didn't quite recall how, but he reached his room and collapsed on his bed, and fell unconscious for the second time.

He had woken to sound of his phone ringing. Disgruntled, he picked it up with a rude, "What do you want?"

"Is that really any way to be greeting someone, Mr. Kennedy?"

Leon frowned, "Who is this?"

"You died, didn't you, Mr. Kennedy?"

Memories of the warehouse slammed into him, and Leon sat up, "Who the fuck is this? What did you do to me?"

"Don't be so alarmed, Mr. Kennedy. I haven't done anything too exotic with your body. Just modified it a little, that's all. I think you'll be needing it."

"What are you talking about?"

The voice chuckled, "Take a close look into a mirror, Mr. Kennedy. Perhaps then you will understand." And the line went dead.

Leon threw the phone back onto the table and rolled off the bed. He strode to the bathroom and flicked on the switch, and he exhaled sharply at what he saw in the mirror's reflective surface.

Those weren't his eyes.

No longer a familiar sapphire blue, they were a cruel, alien yellow surrounded in a ring of red.

And the he started seeing things, particularly a moth hovering by the light bulb that lit the room. He could see every little detail from its delicate antennae to its fluttering wings. He could see every beat, every little twitch it made.

He quickly averted his eyes, shaking his head slightly; what was going on? Did they do something to him while he was unconscious? Images of the monsters he slayed in the past flashed before his eyes. Would he become one of the monsters he had hunted down?

He shuddered at that thought and told himself that he was still human. He could still feel emotions, still feel pain and fear. He frowned, did he?

The emotions were there, but… muted somehow. Everything felt cold, distant.

Perhaps he had lost his humanity when he died.

He shook his head; no, that can't be true. He was still human, and the doubt and indecision proved it.

He pulled off his clothes from yesterday (at least, he hoped it was yesterday), which were now crusty from the dried filth and blood.

After taking a quick shower and getting dressed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, he picked up his phone and tried to call Hunnigan.

But before the first ring, the door slammed open, and two officers burst into the room, guns out.

"Get your hands up," one of them said, although they were both clearly unnerved, probably because of his eyes.

Leon slowly stood up and did as they had ordered, "I think there's been a mistake."

The one to the right, a Caucasian, asked, "Are you Leon Kennedy?"

Leon nodded, and the officer continued, "You are under arrest for the murder of Mr. Frankott."

Frankott… That had been the name of the charge he was supposed to escort to the U.S. But he never got a chance to meet the guy because, well, he died.

"I never had a chance to meet up with Mr. Frankott," Leon said calmly. Even with the two guns trained on him, he didn't feel any fear or worry. Strange. "I was sent here to accompany him to the United States for a meeting with the President."

The officer to the left sneered, "There's no point in lying; we already know your whole jig. The U.S. government has confirmed it. There is no Leon S. Kennedy working for them, and there certainly wasn't an assignment to have him pick up Mr. Frankott. Just give it up."

Well, shit. Someone wanted to use him, and right now, they were doing a pretty damn good job. Whoever this guy was, he had influence, and Leon had none.

"So, I suggest you come with us quietly."

Leon grinned and felt satisfaction when he saw them both take an involuntary step back, "No." He lunged at them just as one of them fired. He could see the trajectory of the bullet and easily side-stepped to dodge. He took down with a brutal kick to the head that knocked him out cold, twisted the gun out of the other officer's hand, and aimed it at his forehead.

The officer stared at him, dumbfounded, "How… How did you do that?"

Leon stared down at him, wondering the exact same question. He had felt no hesitation, no trepidation, holding him back. He only felt a relaxed confidence boosted by the certainty that he could easily squash these two insects.

…Since when did he think of people as bugs?

Leon looked into the officer's eyes, which were full of panic, and whispered, "I don't know." He slammed the butt of the gun into the man's temple, and the poor guy fell to the ground, unconscious.

Leon tossed the gun down, strapped on his holster, which basically held most essentials, checked his Red9, and shrugged on his leather jacket. He reached into his pocket and found a pair of sunglasses. He slid them into place, hiding his new, creepy eyes.

He checked out the end and walked out, noticing a familiar person standing by the doorway.

"Hunnigan," Leon greeted warily, "What are you doing here?"

Ingrid Hunnigan looked rather nervous herself, shifting foot to foot restlessly, "I didn't know anything, Leon, let me say that first. I did as my superiors told me to and gave you the information. That's it. And then I heard that… that they were going to terminate you. Completely erase you from the face of the earth."

"Did they say why?"

Hunnigan shook her head and handed him a black case and car keys, "Take these. I set up a new identity for you, so as long as you stay low, you should be okay."

Leon gratefully accepted the case and peeked inside. Documents, I.D.'s for all sorts of goodies were packed inside. "Thanks, Hunnigan. I appreciate it."

She nodded and adjusted her glasses, "I should get back. I hope I don't see you again, Leon, because that would spell trouble for me."

Leon inclined his head, and she walked off without a backwards glance.

Leon fingered the keys as he walked toward the parking lot. He whistled at the sleek Benz Hunnigan left him and slipped inside. He revved the engine and grinned.

Ingrid had told him to stay low, but he had no intention of doing that. He was going to find whoever killed him and get some answers.

This guy was going to regret messing with Leon Kennedy.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Wesker rested his chin on his laced fingers, smiling at what he saw. Everything was going according to plan… Mr. Kennedy and Ms. Redfield were stuck on the island, and Ada would soon be gathering up all the rest.

The only problem was Chris Redfield. The man who had been a thorn in his side since day one.

But no longer. Wesker had special things in store for Mr. Redfield, and he will have quite the surprise waiting for him when he ran into Mr. Kennedy and Ms. Redfield.

Now, for Ada. She had a rebellious streak, but Wesker could easily handle that. You just needed to know which strings to pull.

They were all his puppets, moving according to his will. They would be instrumental in Unbrella's revival; he would use them and then dispose of them when they no longer served a purpose.

Wesker's smile widened, twisting his face to that of a feral beast.

Long live Umbrella.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Jill tapped her fingers restlessly against the glass table, looking around the small café one more time for… Well, whoever she was supposed to meet. She wasn't even sure if it was a person she was waiting for…

"Jill?"

Jill turned around to see Rebecca Chambers alongside a gruff looking man, "Becca!" She stood and affectionately wrapped her old friend in a hug, "It's been a while. Who's your friend?"

Rebecca returned the hug and then made the introduction, "Jill, this is Billy Coen. Billy, meet Jill Valentine."

Billy extended a hand, and Jill shook. "A pleasure," he said, "Becca's told me a lot about you."

Jill smiled, "I hope not too much. What're you guys doing here anyway?"

The two exchanged glances, and Rebecca explained, "A woman named Ada Wong contacted us and told us to come here. She said that it had to do with Umbrella, so I figured it to be important."

"She met you face to face?"

"No, she left a message over the phone."

_Well, lucky me, _Jill thought dryly, _Looks like got to get the personal touch._

The door slammed open, and in stumbled a very haggard-looking Barry. His skin was too pale, and there were dark bags under his eyes. His hair was mussed and unkempt, and the expression on his face said he was bone-tired.

Rebecca waved cheerily, "Barry! You, too?"

Jill raised her hand in a wave, "Barry. You look like hell."

Barry smiled wanly and scratched at his neck, "Feels like I been through hell."

"What did you do to warrant that?" Becca asked.

"Got a little bit too drunk," He rolled around his shoulders, "Judging by the soreness, I think I got into a couple fights."

Rebecca sighed, "Oh, Barry…"

Barry sat down beside them, "So what's this all about?"

Jill shrugged and sipped from her coffee, which she had ordered earlier to soothe the nerves, "Both of us were contacted by an Ada Wong. You?"

"Ada Wong? Yeah, that's the girl that left a voicemail on my phone… She told me to meet here after talking about some Umbrella shit. Can I get something to eat? I'm starved…"

"Shouldn't we be worrying more about Umbrella? It should've died years ago," Jill said.

"It did die. I don't think there's any way it could've come back."

"Not if Wesker's alive," Rebecca said quietly.

An uncomfortable silence descended upon them as soon as Rebecca uttered the name. Barry glanced at Billy, "Who's this guy? Can we trust him?"

"This is Billy, and he's had experience with these zombies," Rebecca said.

Billy nodded his greeting, which Barry returned. Barry then abruptly stood up, "I gotta go to the john. Be right back." He staggered towards the restroom, occasionally bumping into chairs, table, and other people.

Rebecca watched as Billy struggled to get to the bathroom, "Wow. He really must be feeling under the weather."

"So… This Ada gal… Do you think she's telling the truth or messing with us?" Billy asked.

Jill pushed at her hair and sighed, "I don't know. But its better to be safe than sorry, right?"

"Have you been able to contact Chris?" Rebecca asked, "Maybe he knows something."

Jill shook her head, "Nothing. But I talked with a friend the other night, I used to work with him in an anti-Umbrella organization. He said he'd look into it."

"I see… How've you been?"

Jill shrugged, "About as okay as I can be."

Rebecca fingered her short hair, "Do you still have the… you know…"

Jill immediately understood what Rebecca was asking. The nightmares. The nightmares that had plagued her ever since her first encounter with the monsters Umbrella created. The contents of each spanned from running from them to being overcome by them to becoming them. She hated thinking of the last one, but she knew that it was an all too real result that could occur.

A scream came from the bathroom, and Jill felt her blood run cold when the door burst open.

Zombies.

Oh, God.

The nightmare just turned real.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Leon growled in frustration when the radio only responded in static. Shit… They were cutting off his contacts one by one.

"No luck?"

Leon looked up and tucked the radio back into its pocket, "Yeah. Nothing. Someone doesn't want us to leave."

"Huh. Not the best of hosts, don't you think?"

Leon had to smile at Claire's dry humor, "Yeah."

"Well, I don't suppose we could swim off the island?"

"The mainland is about thirty miles away. A little bit too far to swimming, I would think."

Claire folded her arms, "So then what?"

Leon looked off into the forest, "Well, if Umbrella has set up a base here, then there should be way for us to contact the outside."

"So where to look?"

"Well, the obvious place would be your former prison."

Claire sighed, "And here I was hoping I wouldn't have to go back there so soon."

"Sorry to disappoint."

"Well, I guess we can't always get what we want." But inwardly, Claire felt her heart sink. Not this again. Sure, she acted brave, almost flippant even, but in reality, she was scared. Scared of what she might lose this time. Scared that her nightmares would come true. Only experience was preventing her from plopping down on her butt and breaking down into tears.

The smell of carcasses saturated the air, and Claire wrinkled her nose, "Is that the dogs?"

"What else?"

Claire breathed through her mouth, careful not to inhale any more of the scent. It only reminded her of the past, of the moans and wails of the deceased, of mouths that craved to devour her flesh.

Of monsters and nightmares.

"There it is."

The hovel that had housed Claire not too long ago came into view, and Leon pulled Claire behind a tree, "There was no one around when I was getting you out, but someone had to let out those dogs."

"I really don't like this… Someone's playing with us."

"Wesker."

"Yeah, who else?"

Leon exhaled heavily, "That guy…" He had never actually met Wesker face-to-face, but Leon knew enough to hate the man. The scheming weasel had ruined all of their lives, toying with them as if they were expendable tools.

Claire peered at the prison from behind the tree, "So are we just going to stand here? I'm not really a waiting type of person."

Leon grinned, "Me neither." He handed her his spare handgun, the Blacktail, and ammo, "Here. Just in case."

Claire checked the clip and snapped it back into place, satisfied that it was full, "I'm hoping I won't have to use it."

"Me, too."

Leon ran out first, wary of any danger that might be headed their way. But all was still, and for the time being, it seemed that they weren't any threats at hand.

Clare followed closely behind him, "Looks like its all clear."

Leon cautiously opened the door and glanced around, keeping his Red9 up. The tiny hallway was empty, save for a few rats and gnats. From the hallway, one could access the two cells in the building as well as the backroom, which held nothing but empty crates and mold.

The first cell was the one Claire had been imprisoned in, and after a quick look inside, nothing of any significance was found. Claire glanced at the door, which had been blown partially off the hinges, "How did you open the door?"

Leon followed Claire's gaze and said simply, "I kicked it."

So he was that strong. It was a little bit scary, but Claire found that she didn't feel the least bit afraid of Leon or what the virus had done to him. The only thing that bothered her about it was the coldness about him; he felt distant from her, as if they weren't connected.

Leon inspected the door to the other cell, noticing that it was bolted securely shut. Clearly, this door wasn't supposed to be opened.

Leon gestured to the door, "Now what do you think could be in here?"

"Something important?"

"Or something dangerous."

Claire smiled, "Maybe both?"

"What do you propose we should do?"

"Open it, duh."

Leon aimed for the first of the hinges, and Claire held up the Blacktail, ready for anything that might pop out at them.

Leon shot off the bottom hinge and then the top. He kicked the door open, and a Tyrant lunged out at them.

Claire fired on instinct, and although it managed to stall the Tyrant a bit, it didn't seem to faze it at all. He swung a meaty fist at Claire, and she was just barely able to dodge as Leon pumped metal into the Tyrant's back.

The Tyrant ignored Leon completely, slowly advancing toward Claire as she scrambled to get some space between them. She lifted her gun again, aiming for its head and squeezed the trigger. But this time, the Tyrant dodged all of her shots and charged at her, disregarding every bullet that ripped into him.

Claire ran outside, hoping that with more space, it would be easier to manage the Tyrant.

Predictably, it followed her outside, and Claire briefly wondered why it was only attacking her. Leon was a clear threat, but the Tyrant paid no heed to him. It didn't make any sense.

Claire reloaded her gun and continued to shoot at the Tyrant, but it showed no signs of slowing or tiring. At this rate, she was going to run out of bullets…

"Hey, asshole," Leon growled, "It's not nice to just ignore people like that." He cocked the shotgun in his hands and fired point-blank into the Tyrant's chest, aiming where the heart should be.

But this Tyrant did not fall, even with a huge, gaping hole in its torso. Its muscles starting twitching, then mutating, bulging out and ripping through the black overcoat that it used to cover its body. Talons sprouted from its hands, and its heart began to protrude slightly, enlarged by the increased adrenaline.

Claire cursed as she fired continuously at the monster's heart; she'd never encountered this kind of Tyrant before… But at least it now had a weakness…

The Tyrant lashed out aggressively at Leon, no longer fixed in its objective to focus on Claire.

Leon nimbly dodged, tossed aside the shotgun, knowing it would be too slow for close quarters, and started pumping metal with the Red9.

The Tyrant roared, and Leon just managed to dodge another swipe of its claws. Leon backed away warily; even with the weakness of its heart, it was still proving to be a challenge.

"Hey, big guy." The Tyrant half-turned at the sound of Claire's voice, and the red-head grinned as she cocked the shotgun, "Eat this."

The shell cleaved through the Tyrant's heart, and it howled in pain. Claire fired one more time, and it fell to the ground, finally dead.

Claire plopped down on her butt as weariness caught up to her. First the dogs and now a Tyrant? Things were getting way out of hand. She wanted to get off of this island and fast.

Leon crouched beside her, "You alright?"

Claire rubbed her forehead, "After Umbrella vanished… I really didn't think that we would ever have to go through this again. And then there was the airport… And now this." She looked to Leon, "You figured people would finally notice how horrific these things are."

His gaze seemed to pierce through her, "Some people are just like that, Claire. They just see the ways they can gain power, no matter who gets hurt or what they destroy."

How true that was. Sometimes Claire just didn't see the point in fighting anymore. Why was she trying to stop the unstoppable? Even if they managed to quash Wesker's plans, some other megalomaniac would come along and decide, 'Oh, this looks interesting.'

It would be so much easier to run and hide from it all. No more zombies, no more monstrosities, no more fears haunting her dreams.

"We should probably get moving. It's getting dark."

Claire nodded and stood, dusting the dirt from her pants, "Where can we find shelter?"

Leon jerked his head toward the prison, "Seems like that's our best bet."

Claire sighed, "Great. Just great."

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Ada watched the café across the street, sitting at the bus stop, blending in quite nicely with the pedestrians that flowed around her.

Ada growled softly when she felt the vibration of her phone buzzing against her. She pulled it out of its pocket and flipped it open to her ear, "What?"

"Report, Ada."

Ada rolled her eyes and willed herself to be calm, "Like you said, Barry is unsuitable for the operation. I injected him with the T-virus while he was inebriated, and now he's just arrived at the café."

"Is he aware of it?"

"Doesn't seem like it. He probably thinks the cause of the symptoms is the alcohol."

"Excellent. And Ms. Chambers and Valentine are present?"

"Yeah, but Chambers brought along an unknown. I've never seen him before."

"No matter. Bring him along for the ride as well."

"Anything else?"

"That'll be all."

"Do you really think it's a good idea? Releasing the T-virus like this?"

"If Jill is as good as I believe her to be, she can contain it. If not then, well, she wouldn't be up to my standards."

Ada was disgusted by how this man so easily disregarded the importance of human life, "In the case that Jill fails to contain the virus, what should I do?"

"Then you resume your mission and find Chris Redfield. But there's no need for worry, Ada. Jill won't fail. She's not incompetent."

"Fine." She snapped her phone shut returned to watching the café. Something was going on, there was lots of running and screaming, which meant that the virus had finally reared its ugly head.

Ada slipped on her glasses and stood. She certainly hoped that Jill was as skilled as Wesker thought she was.

She was going to need all the help she could get.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Acting on reflex, Jill pulled out her gun and fired a bullet into the head of the nearest zombie. She aimed to take down the other two behind it, but the screaming crowd got in the way.

"MOVE!!!" she screamed, but no one heard her over the cacophony of shrieks and expletives.

Jill shoved through the mob, but the zombies had already started feeding. Pained shouts added to the dissonance that filled the air, and Jill hurried, trying to get in a clear shot. She took down two more zombies that were lurching towards the panicked mass and then shot the woman they had been feeding on earlier.

Jill kicked the door open and swung her gun left and right, "Barry?"

No response.

Jill swallowed nervously, could he have… "Barry?"

Using her gun, she pushed into the men's restroom and nearly screamed when she saw who was standing before her.

No.

How?

It was a sickening sight to see, Barry with his decomposing skin, his teeth bared in a hungry grimace.

Jill held her hand steady, but could she do it? Could she kill her friend? True, he was no longer her friend, he was only a mindless creature now, the only thing on his mind was to feed.

But as she stared into Barry's visage, which was starting to resemble him less and less, she couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger.

He lunged at her as he roared, and Jill tightened her trigger finger. But before she fired, the bang of a gun went off behind her, and Barry fell to the floor in a heap of dead flesh and worn clothing.

Jill turned and nodded her thanks to Billy Coen, whose gun was still smoking from its recent use.

Billy returned the gun to a shoulder holster hidden by his jacket, "He was injected with the virus."

"Yeah, but how?"

"My guess is that Ada Wong. Why else would she have us come here?"

Rebecca burst into the room, "Guys!!!" She waved a cellphone at them, "It's Ada."

Over speaker phone, Ada spoke, "Congratulations. You all have proven yourselves worthy in this little test."

"What is this, Ada?" Jill asked, fury underlying her voice, "Why is the T-virus here? Don't you know how dangerous that it?"

"Silly girl, of course I know of the T-virus' potency. It's the reason why it was used in this little… simulation."

"What do you mean? What are you-"

Ada cut her off, "If you want answers, go to the roof of the opposite building. There's a chopper waiting for you." The line clicked dead.

"Shit," Jill cursed, "It's a trap."

"But she's got a hold of the T-virus," Becca said quietly, "We have to see what she wants."

Jill ran her fingers anxiously through her hair, "I hate this. I hate how we're always manipulated."

"I find this pretty fishy, myself," Billy said, "But it doesn't seem like they want to kill us, and frankly, I'm tired of all these questions. I want answers, and if we listen to what this woman says, maybe we'll get 'em."

Jill crossed her arms, "Just because they haven't killed us yet, doesn't mean they won't later."

"Then how about this," Bill said, "Me and Becca will go to the chopper, and you stay behind just in case something happens."

Jill hesitated, "I don't like the idea of splitting up."

"Me neither," Becca said, "But I think it's the best plan. That way you can gather up the rest of the gang if we need some rescuing. You got your phone, right?"

Jill didn't like the plan one bit. There were so many things that could go wrong, and she didn't want to lose another friend. She nodded and punched Billy in the shoulder, "You take care of her, kay?"

Billy grinned, "I don't need you to tell me that."

Jill watched as the two left, every cell in her body screaming at her to stop them. Because her gut was telling her that something bad was going to happen.

And then there would be hell to pay.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Leon watched as Claire rested on his shoulder, his chest rising and falling with each breath. He reached over to brush stray strands of hair from her eyes, careful not to shift his weight too much.

A tiny mewl escaped her lips as she snuggled in closer, trying to draw more of his warmth.

Leon was only too aware of Claire's softness, her womanly scent, her sweet innocence. God, it was so tempting, despite the fact that they were stuck on an island overrun with zombies.

Leon sighed and pushed aside his emotions, focusing on the matter at hand.

They were trapped on an island, in the hands of a madman. They had no form of communication and surrounded by monsters that should only be seen in the movies.

Claire quietly whimpered, "No… No. Get away from me."

Leon frowned, "Claire?"

Her face scrunched up in fear as her voice grew louder, "No!!! NO!!!"

Just as he was about to calm her, he heard something.

Snap.

Leon froze; the sound hadn't been loud, but it sliced through the silence like a newly whetted blade. Did Claire's shouting attract it?

Snap.

Whoever or whatever (Leon was betting on the latter) wasn't doing a very good job of sneaking up on them. Either that, or it just didn't care.

And that was dangerous.

Leon shook Claire, "Something's outside."

Claire jerked awake, "Wha? What is it?"

"Not sure yet."

Claire grumbled and pulled out her gun, "I hope it's a possum."

"Too big to be a possum."

"A bear, then."

"Wishful thinking isn't going to get us anywhere." But Leon had to smile at Claire's antics, her quips. But he knew that they were only a façade, hiding away her fears as she tried to pretend that she was alright, that everything was okay.

He wanted to comfort her. But he was just as torn up and scarred as she was; he couldn't help himself so how could he help her?

"Do you hear that?" Claire hissed.

Leon felt the hairs on his neck when he heard it. Raspy, erratic wheezing that was all too familiar. Memories of Spain flooded his mind, and he quietly cursed, "A fucking Regenerator." And he didn't even have any kind of thermal imaging to see the parasites.

"A what?"

Leon peered out the crack of the door, trying to locate the Regenerator. It was standing just outside the door, head cocked as if it was attempting to listen to something.

Well, this was really a fucked up position to be in. Their only exit was blocked off by a dangerous monster than they couldn't kill, and they had no way to fend it off.

Leon pressed his finger to his lips, indicting to Claire to be quiet, and she mouthed, 'What is it?'

Leon ignored her question and glanced outside again.

It was gone.

Leon waited a few seconds, but the strained, harsh breathing was absent, and the only sound Leon would hear was the deafening silence.

Leon quietly exhaled and turned to Claire, "I think it's gone."

But he had spoken too soon. A loud thud came from the roof, and a horrible, ear-splitting screech sounded through the night.

Claire gripped Leon's arm tightly, "Wanna tell me what that is now?"

"A little guy I met in Spain. The only way to kill it is to destroy all of the Plagas inside, but you need some kind of thermal scope and a rifle."

Claire looked up at the ceiling warily, "So now what?"

"We have to make a run for it."

Claire took a deep breath and tried to calm her frazzled mind. She could do this; running from crazy monsters was nothing new to her.

Leon noticed her uneasiness and clapped her shoulder reassuringly. She smiled wanly at him, "Okay. Let's go."

Leon pushed the door a crack further and quickly swung back inside, "Shit. There's more of them."

Claire rubbed her forehead, "We're stuck in here."

Leon peered outside, "Yeah." But strangely enough, the Regenerators weren't making any movements, just standing where they were. Perhaps they weren't aware of the human presence among them…

But for what other reason could they have gathered here?

The Regenerators shuffled around, wheezing nervously.

And then an inhuman howl sliced through the night.

Claire jumped, "What was that?"

The Regenerators ran as a figure approached them from the forest. The darkness cloaked his visage, and Leon could only make out a vaguely slender human shape. But that was impossible… The source of what they heard couldn't be anything remotely human.

"The Regenerators are gone," Leon muttered, keeping his eyes trained on the advancing figure, "But something else…"

"I know you're in there, Claire. Come on out, there's no need to hide."

The two stiffened, and Claire whispered, "Oh, God. Steve."

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Jill walked tiredly into her small apartment, hanging her jacket and holster and tossing her keys onto the kitchen counter as she pressed the flashing button on her answering machine.

"You have one new message," the robotic female voice stated.

"Jill, it's Chris. Call me back as soon as you get this message."

Jill pounced on the phone, and immediately dialed the number listed in the caller ID.

Chris picked up after the first ring, "Jill?"

"Chris!!!"

"I can't talk for long. They're on my tail. Where can I meet you?"

"Where are you?"

"Relatively close."

She quickly told him her address, and he replied, "I'll be there soon."

Jill returned the phone to the cradle, and began to pace the room, impatiently waiting for Chris' arrival.

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Jill wrenched it open, "You're here early."

But it wasn't Chris standing in the doorway.

Jill looked uncertainly at the two men in suits before her, "Can I help you?"

"Ms. Lovett?"

Jane Lovett was her current alias. Rather obvious, but she didn't think there was any need for something more sophisticated, "Yes?"

"I'm Agent McKellan, and this is my partner, Agent Kawada." McKellan gestured to the slender Japanese male beside him.

Jill leaned against the door frame as she surreptitiously reached for her gun, which was still in its holster, "You guys FBI or CIA?"

McKellan chuckled, "Neither. We're from a private investigative branch of the TriCell Corporation."

"Why does a medical company need private investigators?"

"Mainly for acquiring crucial information," McKellan said smoothly, "This is where you can help."

Kawada showed her a photograph, "Has this man contacted you?"

Jill glanced briefly at the photo, "I've never seen him."

A lie. The picture was one of Chris, back when they were both in S.T.A.R.S. The memories she had been trying to repress flooded her. The house, the traps, the blood…

That monster…

"Look closer," McKellan pressed, "Are you sure you don't recognize him?"

"I don't know him," Jill said coolly, "Now, please leave before I call the police."

The two agents exchanged glances and backed away. "Sorry to disturb you, Ms. Valentine," McKellan said cordially, but his eyes were frigid, "We hope you have a nice day."

Jill slammed the door closed and locked it. No doubt they knew who she really was. He had let it slip at the end, calling her by her real name. Intentionally or accidentally, she didn't know.

Jill tightened her grip on the gun as she leaned against the door, "Hurry, Chris…"

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

"Who's Steve?" Leon noticed Claire shaking, "What's wrong?"

Claire swallowed, "I met him a while back at Rockfort Island. We worked together to escape, but… He ended up getting injected with the T-Veronica virus. He's supposed to be…" She trailed off, "I have to talk to him."

Leon stopped her, "Not a good idea."

"Claire," Steve called out, "It's not nice to keep an old friend waiting."

Claire tried to shove past Leon, but he held his position, "Claire. Think about it. If he's dead, how is he here, standing in front of us?"

Claire shook her head, confused, "I… I don't know. Umbrella must've done something."

"Exactly. That guy probably isn't your friend anymore. He's something else now."

Claire's eyes flashed, and she stood up, "So are you."

Leon's eyes widened in shock and hurt, and his grip loosened, allowing Claire to slip outside.

Steve broke into a smile when he saw her, "Claire."

Claire cautiously approached, "Are you really…?"

Steve grinned, "I thought I was dead too, but I managed to survive, thanks to TriCell."

"But the virus…"

Steve extended a hand, "Its okay, Claire. I'm not gonna hurt ya."

Claire slowly reached for his hand.

"Claire, don't." Leon stood at the doorway of the prison, his gun trained on Steve.

Steve growled, "Butt out, blondie."

Leon narrowed his eyes, "Where do you find these guys, Claire?"

"Guys," Claire said exasperatedly, "Enough of the testosterone talk. Leon, put the gun down, please."

"Might want to do what she says," Steve sneered, "Before you get hurt."

Leon's eye flickered from Steve to Claire, and he reluctantly lowered his weapon, ignoring the smug look on Steve's face.

"So, Claire," Steve said warmly, "How've you been? Who is that guy?"

Claire rubbed her forehead; already, she could feel the beginnings of a headache, "He's an old friend of mine, Leon Kennedy. Leon, this is Steve Burnside."

"A pleasure," Leon said tersely.

Steve leaned in and quietly said to Claire, "He's kinda uptight, isn't he?"

Claire almost smiled at that, "Well, we're stuck on an island filled with monsters. What did you expect?"

"Huh."

"How'd you get on the island anyway?"

Steve shrugged, "I've been here since I woke up. I've been staying at a lab up north with these scientists. But this morning, a virus got out, and the lot of 'em turned into zombies. I fought my way out, and then I smelled you, Claire. I tracked you down, and here I am."

"A lab?" Claire turned to Leon, "Maybe this is our ticket out."

Leon nodded slowly, but looked dubious. He didn't think it would be so easy to get off this island…

Not to mention he didn't trust this kid. Not one bit.


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello, Vimuku, here!!! Uhm, this A/N is to address a very good issue that Maximus Prime brought up.**

**So, in RE5, we find out that Wesker needs a serum in order to keep the virus inside him stable. Since this story was planned and written before that, I can't input that variable into this story.**

**So I hope you can bear with the fact that Wesker will not be needing a serum to keep the virus stable.**

**Well, that's all. On to the next chapter!!!**

**Chapter 5**

Rebecca peered out of the helicopter, down at the island beneath them. It was of an ovular shape, almost like an egg, save for the small peninsula that jutted out like a fang. It was toward this peninsula they were headed, and Rebecca could make out the helicopter pad as they drew closer.

"Wesker has something going on here," Ada explained, "Something to do with the T-virus."

Rebecca and Billy had met Ada after the whole café incident, waiting for them by a chopper, ready to take off.

Rebecca had demanded answers, but Ada refused to speak until they got on the helicopter. As soon as they were in the air, she spoke, "The release of the virus at the café was one of Wesker's tests. I'm also guessing he infected your friend for the same reason."

Rebecca was immediately suspicious, "How do you know all this?"

"I've got friends in high places. They've been monitoring Wesker's movements carefully, and after they discovered his plan of attack, I lured you three there. Of course, I wasn't aware that Barry was the source of the infection. I'm sorry about that."

"So why send us there?" Billy asked.

"To test you," Ada said simply, "I wanted to know if you really could help us take down Wesker."

Billy looked disgruntled by the fact that they'd been used and manipulated, and Rebecca glanced outside, "So why are we here?"

"To find out what you can. We know that Wesker has been conducting his experiments, but we haven't been able to find out exactly what. That's where you two come in. I was hoping Jill would be able to join us, but I take it that she's unavailable right now?"

"We wouldn't be here either," Billy said bluntly, "But you really didn't give us much choice."

There was an awkward silence until Ada said, "We'll be landing shortly." She pulled into view a silver briefcase, "You're going to more than your wits to survive here so…" She handed each of them a gun, both of which were Berettas, and a satchel to Rebecca, "It has extra ammo and a first aid kit inside. A couple energy bars and bottles of water if you really need it."

Rebecca accepted the satchel, and Ada continued, "We'll be landing in five minutes. I suggest you prepare yourselves in that time." She turned to the pilot, leaving the two alone to discuss.

Rebecca slung on the satchel as Billy shook his head, "Becca, I've got half a mind to just ditch that woman and leave this place. Don't you think we've done enough? I'm tired of having to save the world from zombies, and really, all I want is a break."

Rebecca gently touched his shoulder, "I know. I know. I'm sick of all of this too. But it's Umbrella, Billy. And I don't know about you, but my conscience won't let me just allow this nightmare to happen and involve more innocent people."

Billy wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "I just don't want to see you hurt."

"Likewise."

The chopper descended upon the island, the beating of its blades echoing through the air and awakening the creature within…

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

As Leon watched the sun set, he remarked, "It's getting late. We'd better find shelter."

"With me around, you won't need shelter from the big, bad monsters out there," Steve replied offhandedly, "Besides, we're almost there."

The entire walk had been exactly like that. In the past few hours, every time Leon made a comment on something, Steve would snide and retort in that annoying arrogant manner of his. It was enough to make a man want to kill babies.

_Calm down, Leon. You can deal with this._ But he was having a lot of trouble in doing so. What frustrated him the most was the fact that Steve took every chance to touch Claire, laugh with Claire, talk with Claire. And each time Claire accepted his touches, return his laughs, continue his conversations, Leon had to push down the boiling rage that seemed to swell from an endless well.

"I agree with Leon on this one," Claire said thoughtfully, "I don't want to hang around outside when it's dark."

"Aww, come on Claire," Steve said playfully, "We didn't have too much trouble on Rockfort Island, now did we? What happened to the fearless Claire I used to know and love?"

Leon clenched his fists, and told his body, _'Relax. Breathe in, breath out… There you go.'_

Claire smiled, "Our main objective is to get off this island in one piece, and I don't want to have to go through unnecessary trouble."

Steve grinned, "Whatever you say, boss. I saw a building not too far from here. Not sure what is was used for though. Right this way."

And then they were back to trudging through trees, ferns, and roots. Not that trudging was anything new to Leon, and his upgraded body seemed to instinctively move through obstacles without any effort.

No, the problem was Claire.

It was pure torture watching her body lithely struggle against the nature surrounding them. Watching the sweat glisten as it trailed down her swan-like neck.

Just torture.

He had always liked Claire, her bright personality, her amicable disposition. And then during the Raccoon City breakout, they had bonded, though it seemed more like a sibling relationship than anything else.

But at some time, that brotherly affection, that platonic care, turned into something more. He more than 'liked' her.

And then Harvardville confirmed that.

Just seeing her again… He couldn't quite understand how such a simple thing could make him so happy.

And then he couldn't deny it any more.

He was in love with her.

Steve pointed ahead, "There is it. Not exactly the best of accommodations, but I think it should be enough for the night, eh?"

Their "accommodations" as Steve so aptly put it, was nothing more than a storage shed, with one small window on one side and double doors as their only entrance and exit.

Steve yanked open the doors, revealing it to be empty, save for a few rats and some dust.

Claire sat down and rested her head against the wall, "Whew. I don't know about you guys, but I'm starved."

Leon handed an energy bar, "It's not much."

Claire took it gratefully and peeled open the wrapper, "You're a life saver, Leon."

"I try."

The rest of the night passed excruciatingly slow for Leon. Claire had fallen asleep, exhaustion catching up with her, and now Leon was just taking every effort to ignore and avoid conversation with Steve.

"So what are you anyway?" Steve asked casually.

Unable to stop himself, Leon replied, "What?"

"I mean, you're not human, that's a fact. So what are you?"

"I am human," Leon said frigidly.

Steve scrutinized him, "I don't think so. Are you a B.O.W.? I heard some of the scientists talking about them, and they said there were a couple of them on the island."

Leon narrowed his eyes, "A B.O.W. would be a Tyrant, though I don't suppose you would know what that is, given that you're an ignorant little shit." Dammit, he lost his temper. He had to keep his cool, otherwise he would just look stupid.

But, God, he hated this prick.

Steve only looked amused by the insult, "I may be ignorant, but not nearly as much as you. As least I know when to accept the truth."

"I am accepting the truth. I'm not a freak, and I'm not like you."

Steve smiled slyly, "You think Claire thinks that?"

Leon averted his eyes, "What makes you think I care about what she thinks of me?"

"You like her," Steve pointed out, "It doesn't take a genius to notice that."

Leon cringed, was it that obvious? Did Claire know? Was she privately laughing to herself, knowing that she had Leon wrapped around her pinky?"

"I doubt Claire knows though," Steve said, as if he had read Leon's mind, "She's kinda oblivious to that kind of stuff."

"What does it matter anyway?" Leon muttered, "After all of this, we'll go our separate ways, and I probably won't see her again for another few years." In his line of work, he really didn't have time to be socializing, and so he was alone, most of the time.

He lived a solitary life, one that he had gotten used to, and bringing in someone new wouldn't work out.

But his heart told him differently. He yearned for a woman's gentle touch, for her soft skin, for her kind words.

He wanted Claire.

That burning, gripping need was something he couldn't rid himself of, no matter how much he immersed himself in his work, no matter how stunted his emotions became.

No matter what.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Jill jumped at the sound of knocking on the door. She stood and peered through the peep hole, relieved to see that it was only Chris. She yanked open the door and threw her arms around him, "It's good to see you."

Chris awkwardly hugged her back, "Same."

Jill released her embrace and smiled wanly at the man standing before her. He definitely had gained some muscle. His slim figure had been trained and buffed and that, added to the bit of stubble on his chin, made him look dangerous. He looked almost comical in casual clothing; she was so used to seeing him in combat gear. He had a shoulder holster on, with a gun strapped into place. He'd learned, like Jill, that you can never be too safe, and that viral outbreaks could happen anywhere, anytime.

Recently, he had joined up with the B.S.A.A., a government organization that dealt with biohazard threats around the globe.

A few days ago, Leon, whom he had met before on a few occasions, had contacted him via e-mail, and told him that he needed to find Jill.

And that was why he was standing before her now.

"These creeps from TriCell came not too long ago," Jill explained as Chris seated himself on the couch.

"TriCell?" Chris frowned, "They're the ones who helped find the B.S.A.A."

"Well then, I don't think you can trust them anymore," Jill said flatly.

Chris nodded, "I think we need to find Leon. He's probably got the answers we need."

"I don't suppose you know were he is."

Chris shrugged sheepishly, "I've been trying to contact him, but I haven't had any luck so far."

As the words left Chris' mouth, the phone rang, a jarring sound that startled both Jill and Chris.

Jill picked it up after the second ring, "Hello?"

"Is this Jane Lovett?" The voice sounded female, but it was muffled by something, so Jill couldn't be entirely sure.

"Yes."

"Get out of the house. Now."

Jill's brow furrowed. "Wait, who is this?"

"If you want to live, get out!!!"

Jill didn't know if she could trust the person on the phone, but she wasn't going to take any chances. Tossing the phone back into its cradle, she turned to Chris, "We need to get outta here."

He was already out the door, sensing danger during the phone conversation. He glanced down the hallway and motioned for Jill to follow, "It's clear."

Jill grabbed the keys for a car she rarely used and her phone, "Feels like old times, huh?"

Chris chuckled, "You know, when you refused the B.S.A.A.'s offer to join, I thought that I wouldn't ever get to partner with you again. Guess I spoke too soon."

They ran down the hallway, opting for the stairs instead of the elevator and burst out the back door of the apartment complex. Jill headed for the parking lot, throwing herself into the driver's seat and starting up the engine just as a black car swerved in, narrowly avoiding a crash into the other cars.

Chris slammed the door closed, "Go!"

Jill backed out, watching as men exited the car and ran into the apartment, unaware that Jill was already gone.

Jill felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, pulled it out, and flipped it open, "Yes?"

"Good work, but don't relax just yet. The city is crawling with TriCell agents and their objective is to hunt you down."

"Who are you?"

"Just a friend of a friend. If you look in the compartment, you'll find two tickets to D.C. I'll contact you again once you're there."

"Wait, why are you helping us?" But the line was dead.

Jill snapped the phone shut and started driving towards the nearest airport, "Check the compartment."

Chris obeyed and took out two plane tickets, "You know, I'm starting to like this less and less."

Jill laughed shakily, "Yeah, I know. Has a person named Ada Wong called you?"

"No, who's she?"

Jill swallowed, "She contacted all of the members of our S.T.A.R.S team, at least the ones who were still alive. She… She had Barry injected with the T-virus and let him loose in public. We were able to keep the damage and panic to a minimum, but… I don't know why she hasn't talked to you."

"Where's Becca now?"

"She's with a friend, but I don't know their exact whereabouts. They met up with Ada, and she took them somewhere."

Chris quietly cursed to himself, "So we're all separated."

"It kinda makes you think that someone diabolically evil is behind all of this."

"Are you saying that Wesker's involved in this?"

"Well, that's what Ada said."

Chris tightened his hands into fists; on his last mission, he had been sent to retrieve and interrogate Ozwell E. Spencer, Umbrella's former president. But by the time he had gotten there, Spencer was dead, presumably the work of Wesker. With their only lead lost, the B.S.A.A. had ordered Chris to end the hunt, and although Chris had returned, he never did stop looking for the snake.

And now, he had been given another chance.

And this time, he wouldn't fail.

He'd make that bastard pay.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Wesker slammed his fist into the polished desk, not bothering to control his strength. As a result, a fissure spread through the thick, tough wood, which groaned unhappily.

So, Chris had managed to escape his grasp, as had Jill. Useless peons. What was the point of having them if they couldn't do their job correctly?

No matter. With TriCell's numerous resources at his disposal, he could easily locate them. They couldn't hide, no matter where they went.

Still, there was another problem to deal with.

An information leak.

There was someone within TriCell assisting the two.

Wesker intended to find out who.

And once he did, there would be hell to pay.

**I don't know if I have portrayed the characters of Rebecca and Billy all too well, and I apologize if they seem too flat.**

**Don't hesitate to leave a review!!!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Leon stood against the wall, trying to be as aloof as he looked. But every so often, he would peek down at Claire from behind his wheat-colored fringe of hair, his eyes filled with repressed longing.

She looked so serene, so beautiful with the moonlight streaming through her reddish brown locks. Without worry wrinkling her face, her face was smooth, and her full lips curved into a half-smile.

"Chris," she mumbled, pouting almost childishly, "Big bro…" She moaned softly, "Help me…"

Leon furtively glanced towards Steve, who seemed to be napping in the other corner. But Leon couldn't be entirely sure if Steve was actually asleep or if he was merely pretending.

"Chris…"

Leon knelt down and gently took Claire's soft hand into his own calloused ones. "It's okay," Leon murmured, "I'm here."

"Brother?"

"Yeah." Because that's all he could be for her. Nothing more.

Claire muttered a few more incoherent words and then the only sound coming from her was the breaths that entered and left her body with each rise and fall of her chest.

Leon resisted the urge to caress her cheek and returned to his former position by the window. He glanced out, but the night was as quiet as it had been before. It seemed fortune was finally smiling on them, granting them a reprieve before the storm.

They were going to need it.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

The aroma of the beverage was wafting into Jill's nose, tangy and filled with that distinct flavor that only coffee had.

But the coffee wasn't the item of interest in Jill's eyes. It was the cell phone sitting dormant next to it.

They had arrived in D.C. without much trouble, and now were sitting idly in one of the many cafés along the main street.

They had been here for hours and still, there was no phone call.

Chris was fidgeting around, checking his watch every so often with a motion that was almost impatient. Jill wasn't surprised; Chris was a man of action, not a guy who was meant to sit around indolently.

"What's taking her so long?" Chris growled, "I'm tired of waiting."

Jill spun the phone around on the stainless steel table, "Relax, Chris. Maybe she's tied up with something right now. Besides, what else can we do but wait?"

Chris grunted, "We could track Leon down on our own."

"With what assets? We can't withdraw any money because I'm sure Wesker's got spies everywhere. I don't have any cash on me, and we can't trust the B.S.A.A., not if TriCell is backing them."

Chris grunted again, and muttered something about being dragged across the country for no reason.

Jill sipped her coffee, "Been working out?"

"Yeah, a little."

Jill eyes his arms, "Right."

Chris shrugged, "If I want to keep up with Wesker, I gotta keep my body in shape." His fist involuntarily clenched. He remembered his last confrontation with the diabolical mastermind. The bastard had been so much faster, so much stronger, it was inhuman. Chris doubted he would be sitting here if Alexia hadn't arrived in time to distract Wesker.

So once that whole mess was over, he started pushing his body to its limits. He worked to become stronger, strong enough to take on that maniacal freak, strong enough to make up for the weaknesses he had.

The phone buzzed as it vibrated against the table, and Jill immediately flipped it open, "Yeah?"

"I apologize for making you wait. There has been some… problems in acquiring a safe contact with you."

"I see. No doubt it's Wesker trying to put in some heat."

"Yes. Now, I know you are looking for your friends, but before that, I must impart with you vital information. Albert Wesker plans to build an army of B.O.W.s, and that is why he has manipulated your friends onto a remote island. He using that as base to train a new kind of B.O.W., one that I've never heard of before. I've dug through files and files, but the virus and its exact nature remains unnamed. However, I did manage to find a few notes on the effects. I understand that you have confronted Albert Wesker and are familiar with his enhanced abilities?"

"Yes."

"Well, then, these new B.O.W. have the exact same characteristics. Increased metabolism, allowing heightened strength and speed, as well as superior regenerative capability."

"So… You're saying Wesker has created something like himself?" Jill asked, "Who was the subject?"

"I was unable to obtain that bit of information. If I do, I will be sure to relay it to you. Now, I need you to head down to the docks. I'll call again once you're there to give further instructions."

"Wait," Jill said quickly, "Tell me your name."

"That isn't relevant right now."

"Just, please. Tell me."

"…Yoko. Yoko Suzuki."

"Thank you, Yoko, for helping us."

"No… Thank you." And the line clicked dead.

Chris stared impatiently, "Well?"

"Down to the harbor."

Chris sighed, "You know, I get the feeling that this is a wild goose chase."

"I don't think so." And then Jill quickly explained was Yoko had told her as they paid for their drinks.

"An army of Weskers," Chris growled, "Yeah, like one of him wasn't enough."

The two left the café, and Jill blinked as her eyes adjusted to the noonday sun. She turned to Chris, "I don't suppose you've got enough for a cab."

"I've got more than enough," Chris said dryly, "Unlike certain people, I like to stay prepared, in case of emergencies."

Jill made a face, "I am prepared. Just not financially."

Chris chuckled, "Right, right."

"Whatever. Just get a taxi for us."

Chris obliged and hailed a cab. Within moments, they were dropped off at the pier, overlooking the somewhat peaceful waters of the Atlantic. Several boats were docked, some huge cruisers, others more humble fishing boats.

Jill felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, and she quickly answered, "Yeah?"

"Take the boat at the very end. There's a map under the seats, as well as other supplies. This'll be the last time I'll call in a while, so try your best to be careful. The map will lead you to your friends, but be warned, there are many dangers on that island, many of which you've encountered… I've got to go. I wish you luck."

"Hey, hold on a sec-" Jill sighed and shut the phone. She gestured to the boat Yoko had described, "That one."

It was a slim, sleek motorboat, allowing four people to be comfortably seated. Chris examined the boat, and satisfied that it hadn't been booby-trapped, helped Jill in.

As he started the engine, Jill checked under the seats, and sure enough, she found a map. A path had been clearly marked ending in a circle around a tiny island, barely noticeable amongst all the other land masses.

Jill examined the compass and studied the map closely, "Alright, Chris. You ready?"

Chris grimaced, "As ready as I'll ever be." He steered the boat out of the harbor and out into the vast expanse of the sea.

Jill pulled out a box that had also been stuffed under the seat. She popped it open and grinned at the artillery and ammo gleaming before her. She strapped on a belt, jammed a Punisher, which would make a nice companion to her Beretta PX4, into a holster on her hip. A sheathed knife went on her back, easily accessible if the guns failed on her. Then she stuffed the pouches with all the healing sprays and ammo she could without hindering movement. She pulled on a pair of gloves, fingerless for the index finger to allow dexterity when pulling a trigger.

Chris glanced at her and whistled, "Armed and dangerous."

Jill grinned and pushed the box towards Chris, "The rest is yours."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't forget to leave anything for me," Chris said. He allowed them to switch places, and examined the contents of the box. He buckled on a belt, shoving in ammo and grenades wherever he could. Then he slung a triple-barrel shotgun over his back and tucked his Beretta Samurai Edge into his hip holster. He also strapped on the knife onto his back, and donned a pair of gloves, similarly fashioned like Jill's, except thicker and more durable.

Jill closed her eyes as the ocean's breeze tousled her hair, as the salt tickled her nose. Nothing could beat the fresh taste of natural air, unpolluted by human chemicals and waste.

Out here, Jill felt so free. As much as she enjoyed the technological advances, she still couldn't help but feel oppressed by society and its conventions.

"Looks like we're getting close. I think that's it."

The island could be seen in the horizon, just a long, black mass, covered in trees and other types of forestry.

Chris eased the boat into a manageable location, hidden from any prying eyes, but easily accessible if they needed a quick escape. After making sure the boat wouldn't drift away, Chris turned to Jill, who was staring into the trees, a strange expression etched into her face.

"Something wrong?"

Jill shivered, "I don't know, Chris. I just have a bad feeling."

"If Wesker's involved, I'm not surprised." Chris gently laid a hand on her shoulder, "But don't worry. We'll get out of this together."

Jill smiled and nodded, but that ominous feeling wouldn't leave her.

This trip would turn their worlds upside down, and it wouldn't be for the better…

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

"Claire, Claire, wake up. Time to go."

Claire's eyes fluttered open and blinked a few times. Sunlight was filtering through the window and considering the chill of the air, it must be morning.

Claire sat up, rubbing her eyes tiredly, and blearily looked around, "Where's Steve?"

Leon helped her up, "He went out to scout. You feeling hungry?"

"Nah, I'm good." Claire brushed the grime from her clothes, "Is there anywhere I can wash up? I feel like I've been rolling around in mud for days."

"There's a river nearby, but the water's colder than ice. Think you can handle it?"

"I don't care what the water is like. I just want to feel cleaner."

Leon grinned, "Alright, this way."

He led her out of the warehouse and into the trees. Within moments, Claire could hear the burbling of the flowing water, and after another minute of walking, it was within view. She squatted by the edge, dipped a finger and immediately pulled it out, wincing at the icy pain that had spread through the appendage.

"I told you it was cold."

Claire steeled herself, "Its fine." She quickly pushed her hands in, gasping as a numbing cold pierced through her skin. She pulled them out, blowing on to warm them up again. She never knew water could hurt so much…

"Here…" Leon wrapped his arms around her, and took her hands into his. She could feel his heat, even through his jacket, and immediately, the numbness abated from her hands. "You're so stubborn," he said, his red eyes twinkling with amusement.

Claire smiled; she barely noticed the odd coloring of his eyes anymore. Leon was Leon, no matter how different he looked, and that was all she needed. "Er, well, I kinda need to, um, relieve myself."

Leon broke away and stood, "Don't take too long. I won't be too far off, so just shout if you need me. But I suppose it'd be kinda embarrassing if I rescued you while you were-"

"Yeah," she said, quickly cutting him off before he could put it into vulgar wording, "Now if you don't mind…"

Leon chuckled, "Right." He turned and disappeared into the trees.

Claire waited a few moments, and then turned to clump of bushes. She squatted as she unbuttoned her jeans, but-

Leon jumped when he heard a scream, Claire's scream, pierce through the air. He ran back towards the river, pushing his body as fast as it could go, wrenching aside all obstacles in his way.

But as he burst out of the trees, he could see she was gone. He paced around, trying to get a whiff of her scent.

Nothing.

A snarl erupted from his throat; he wanted to kill something to vent his frustration. How could he have been so careless, so stupid?

He slammed his fist into a nearby rock, creating a spiderweb of cracks that surrounded the crater that had formed.

Dammit it all.

Damn his weakness, his slowness, his stupidity.

"Leon?" After Chris heard the scream, he came running, expecting that someone needed his help, but he certainly hadn't been expecting Leon Kennedy to be standing here. "Hey, is something up? Who screamed?"

"It was your sister," Leon said quietly, "Something took her. I couldn't… I…"

Chris tightened his grip around his gun, "My sister's here!?!? Why?"

When Leon didn't respond, Chris grabbed his shoulder and forced him to turn around, "I asked you a-"

No.

It couldn't be.

Chris stared wordlessly at those bright, smoldering yellow eyes, so foreign, yet familiar at the same time.

The eyes of his hated enemy on the face of his closest friend.

God, how he hated irony.


	8. Chapter 7

**Thank you all for your kind reviews!!!**

**I'm done with all my APs, so now that that burden has been lifted, I'm free to write more, woo!**

**Hope you enjoy the chapter!!!**

**Chapter 7**

Just when you thought you had seen everything, life throws something slimy and nasty into your face.

For Chris, this was it.

Chris resisted the urge to lift up his gun and instead quietly asked, "Leon… Are you-" He wasn't quite sure how to word his question. _Hey, Leon. Are you a freak?_

"It's a long story, and we don't have the time. We have to get your sister."

A part of Chris wanted to say no, to demand answers, to ask why Leon's eyes were like that. Chris wanted to shake him, wanted to get answers to the questions that had been whirling around in his mind ever since he heard about Wesker's insane B.O.W. army plan.

But he had to be practical. It didn't seem that Leon was a threat, and Claire was in danger. So Chris just jerked his head up and down, using every ounce of self-control, "Fine. But you better explain everything to me. Do you know what took Claire?"

Leon stared past the river, "No. I left her alone for a bit, and then…"

"Shit," Chris cursed, and then Jill came running out of the woods, panting heavily, "Don't run off like that, Chris. That's exactly the kind of thing that gets us into..." She blinked when she saw Leon, "…Trouble."

Jill glanced at Chris, who shook his head slightly. She didn't seem happy, but only nodded back. He quickly briefed her on the current situation, and she frowned, "So we need to find some kind of lead."

Chris took a look around the area, and noticed an impression in the mud by the river. "Over here," he called out, "It must've crossed the river."

Jill looked at the river dubiously, "So how are we going to get across?" She had no desire to trek through a couple yards of icy rapids, but it didn't seem like they had any other choice.

And then something rushed past her, leapt over the river, and landed with feline grace on the other side. As soon as his feet were on the ground, Leon sprinted into the trees, following the tracks as it led deeper and deeper into the forest.

Jill stared in shock, "Did you see that?"

Chris sighed heavily, "Yeah. Come on, we need to find a way to cross."

Ignoring Jill's quizzical look, he started walking down the river, looking for a shallower, calmer, narrower portion to cross.

He needed to do something to keep him distracted, to keep his mind from straying to thoughts of Leon.

And Wesker.

Damn that man. No matter how hard Chris tried, the bastard always somehow knew just exactly how to press his buttons. He was always one step ahead, able to manipulate them like marionettes on strings.

Not this time.

Chris wasn't going to fall so easily into Wesker's trap. He'd find a way out, and then he'd finish this tiresome game.

For good.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Leon wished he hadn't rushed in so recklessly, especially since that Chris and Jill would now have to find a long way to follow him. But Claire's safety was the priority right now, and he wanted her out of danger as fast as possible. He wanted her secure in his arms and out of the hands of whatever had kidnapped her.

Leon slowed, noting that the tracks had disappeared as the mud hardened into dirt. But a familiar scent clung to the air.

Claire's scent.

His bearings gathered, he plunged in, easily darting around the foliage and over fallen trees. The smell was getting stronger, he had to be getting close…

And there, just beyond the trees was a plain, white building, closed off by an electrified fence. The entrance, however, had been badly damaged, as if something had rampaged across it, leaving only twisted metal and ruin in its wake.

Leon leapt over the remains of the entrance and headed for the building. The door needed a card key to be opened, and even when Leon tried to kick it, it didn't leave so much as a dent.

_It's probably reinforced to keep B.O.W.s out… Or in._

Leon circled the building, snarling upon discovering that there was no other way in. He glanced up; perhaps they had roof access? In case they needed a quick escape via helicopter.

In one fluid motion, he leapt and landed nimbly on the roof, pleased to find that there was a door, one not as high-tech as the one to the main entrance.

He kicked it open and quickly made his way down the stairs until he reached an empty hallway. Aware of the bloodstains on the walls and pools of blood on the floor, Leon drew his gun and cautiously crept down the hall.

Seeing as this floor only seemed to be for residence, Leon quickly made his way to the first floor. There were research and storage rooms, labs, and a small office, but they were all empty.

Leon supposed it was a good thing; he didn't particularly feel like dealing with zombies. But the fact that there had been blood unsettled him. If there was blood, there should be bodies lying around.

Well, unless those bodies were moving about.

The lights flickered dangerously, and Leon hoped he wouldn't have to face undeads in the dark. Things were bad enough as they were… But fortunately, the lights remained on, although they continued to sputter weakly.

Leon reached an elevator that led to the basements, but it required a two card keys, judging from the two separate slots.

Leon sighed and turned back towards the rooms; he'd better get searching…

But then he heard a sibilant hiss and then the scrape of claws against metal.

And then complete silence.

"Shit," Leon muttered, "Here we go again."

There was a crash, and then all hell broke loose.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Rebecca tramped through the forest, the satchel's strap digging uncomfortably into her shoulder. The weather was humid and hot, and the trees were little protection from the sun's beating rays.

Rebecca sighed tiredly, "Billy, let's take a break. My legs are killing me."

Billy squatted beside her as she sat down, "Probably not a good idea to stick around in one place for too long."

"Yeah, yeah," She gulped down some water, sighing contentedly at the refreshing flavor, "But I need to rest up so I'm not completely useless if we run into something."

Billy chuckled and then paused, "Did you hear that?"

"What?"

Only silence.

"I hear nothi-"

And then something crashed through the trees, landing nimbly before them.

Rebecca gasped in horror, the monstrosity before her was like nothing she'd ever seen.

It was a gruesome amalgam of creatures mashed up together into one monster. The head was human, save for the mouth, which hung loosely in order to accommodate for its elongated teeth. The torso was also humanoid, scales dotting random areas to form rudimentary armor. It had been grafted on to the lower half of an insect-like body, the three sets of legs covered in deadly barbs. Both arms, also covered in scales, were abnormally long, limply dragging along the floor as the creature slowly approached them.

Rebecca clamped her hand over her mouth, hoping that it would keep herself from barfing. Oh, God, this was _sickening. _She felt pity for the man who had been subject to this experimentation, this torture.

Billy had both his guns fixed on the monstrosity, "Snap out of it, dollface."

The creature howled and lashed out with its arms, its claws reaching for something to rip, to mangle.

Billy grabbed Rebecca and threw them into the trees, "Come on, Becca. This is definitely not the time to be daydreaming."

Rebecca took a deep breath, trying to calm her mind, and nodded, "We need a plan."

"We've got plenty of cover here," Billy said, "We'll hit it from all sides, keep moving, and once it's confused, we get the hell away from it."

"Sounds good. Be careful."

"You, too."

They split up, and Billy pressed himself behind a thick oak, already planning an escape strategy if this plan failed. He peered around the tree and saw that the creatures back was turned to him. He lifted his guns and fired, aiming for the head.

The monster squealed and rushed towards the sound, but Billy was already gone. And then it felt pain again, this time in its back, and it lunged to capture its assailant. It roared in rage as it was thwarted yet again. It slammed its arm into the trees, cleaving through them as if they were merely sticks of butter.

"Run!!!" Billy shouted, hoping that Rebecca could hear him over the noise of falling trees.

Rebecca was already running until she was out of harm's way. Worriedly, she glanced back at the collapsing trees; was Billy alright?

And then, from the clouds of dust and leaves, Billy stumbled out, coughing from the debris that had managed to lodge in his throat.

"You okay?" He asked Rebecca, between coughs.

She nodded, "Is it-?"

"Yeah, I think it was squashed under all those-"

But there was a howl, and Billy grimaced, "Guess I spoke too soon."

The fallen trees shifted and were thrown aside as the monster barged out, bellowing with fury. Only a bleeding stump remained of its left arm, somehow torn off during the chaos, and it limped toward them, half of its legs crushed and mangled.

But now a strange tentacle thing had taken place of the head, and the two blades attached to it riotously thrashed about.

_Plagas…_

Billy couldn't quite remember where he heard that name, but he did know that it was the weak spot.

Billy fired at the Plagas, and its remaining arm whipped around wildly, managing to clip Rebecca on the temple. She was knocked down to the ground in a dazed heap, her gun sent flying into the foliage.

"Becca!!!" Billy dodged another ferocious flail, "Hey, you horror movie reject, butt out!!!"

It snarled and charged at Billy, who continued to fire even as he dodged until the Plagas exploded into so much guts and goop. It gave one final shriek of defeat and collapsed, dead for good.

Billy rushed to Rebecca, who was moaning softly as she returned to consciousness. She glanced around blearily, "Did you get it?"

"Yeah, it's gone."

Rebecca rubbed her face, "God."

Billy held her shoulders gently, "Think you can walk?"

"Yeah." She straightened up, stumbling slightly when dizziness washed over her.

"We'll find some place for cover and rest up for the day. You took a bad knock to the head."

"I'm fine. I'm not bleeding so it's probably nothing too serious."

"Still, let's not take any chances. Come on."

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

"Ada, what a surprise." Wesker didn't even need to see to know it was her. Instead, he continued to stare out the window, into the city. "Take a seat."

"I'm just here to report the completion of my mission."

"Yes, but there's a problem. It wasn't you who manipulated Chris and Jill to that island, was it? You see, there's been an information leak, and now there's an outside party meddling in our affairs." Wesker turned to Ada, "I wonder who it could be."

"I'm not stupid enough to cross you twice, Wesker," Ada replied, "So I hope you're not blaming me."

"Oh, I'm not insinuating that you are involved." He lunged at her, "I already know!!!" He slammed her pretty head into the wall as she cried out in pain, "Ms. Suzuki spilled everything. She was quite eager to oblige once we persuaded her."

Ada reached for the knife in her leg holster, but Wesker grabbed that wrist and twisted it back. He grinded her face further into the wall, smirking at the twisted, pained countenance, "You were a fool, Ada. I thought you could learn your lesson, but it seems I was wrong."

He flipped her around and clamped his hand around her throat, lifting her a few inches from the floor. She clawed at his arm, thrashing around to break free, but her strength was no match for his.

"Silly girl."

And then he released her.

Ada fell to the floor in a heap, gasping heavily for breath. Her face was bruised and her wrist was probably sprained.

But she was alive.

Wesker returned to his seat behind his desk, "I ought to kill you for your insolence, your disobedience, your betrayal. However, I rather like that about you, Ada. You can be quite the sly fox… But your deeds won't escape my eyes."

"Now, Ada, I'm sure you're wondering why you're not dead yet. You haven't told them anything major, for one thing, and I'm also feeling particularly merciful right now. Even with your foolishness, the Phoenix Operation is going swimmingly."

Wesker leaned lazily on his chair, "Also, I still have things for you to do, my dear. You can be traitorous, but you are also quite resourceful."

And then he was in front of her, moving faster than her eyes could see. He lifted her up so they were eye to eye, and Wesker hissed into her ear, "Remember, Ms. Wong, I could kill you any time I like. If you challenge my will one more time, well, we're always in need of test subjects. I'm sure you'd be perfect for the job."

He dropped her and turned away, "Get out."

Ada staggered to her feet and left the office in silence, trying to maintain what dignity she had left.

Her plans had been thwarted yet again. Despite all of her assets, he still managed to see right through her. And she had been so arrogant, thinking that she had him played.

She grimaced and winced as pain flared in the left side of her face. Wesker had been ruthless when teaching her his "lesson," but fortunately, her wrist wasn't broken.

She'd have to stay low for now. Comply with his orders and act as the faithful dog.

But once she had what she needed, that would change.

Once she had what she needed, this job would be done.

And then, she'd never have to worry again.


	9. Chapter 8

**Whee, next chapter…**

**Chapter 8**

Leon nearly emptied the whole clip into the face of an approaching Licker, but as soon as he realized it wasn't doing much damage, he switched over the knife.

It seemed an impossible situation to get out of. Lickers were pouring in from all corners, from the vents, cabinets, wherever they were hiding. They had noticed his arrival as soon as he reached the first floor and had been sneaking around, waiting for the opportune moment to ambush him.

Leon kept his distance, eyeing them warily. Lickers were no new thing to him; he'd encountered a couple of them in Raccoon City, but these were slightly different. Not only were they more resilient to bullets, their muscle mass had increased vastly. They also had an exposed heart in the center of their chests, which Leon presumed to be the weakness.

The problem was getting to it.

Leon sidestepped as a tongue stabbed at him, lodging itself within the wall. He darted in, jabbing the knife into the head of a Licker as he kicked aside another that had attempted to lunge at him.

He threw the knife into the heart of a Licker as it tried to launch itself from the ceiling. He retrieved the knife before the body even hit the floor, and then he speared his hand through the chest of another Licker.

He evaded another tongue stab and sliced at it before it could be retracted. He dispatched a Licker with a spin kick, then grabbed the head of another and slammed it into the ground.

He dodged a swipe of claws and then smashed the attacking Licker into the ground using the heel of his foot. He jabbed the knife into the general area of the central organ, pulled it out, and then sliced at the torso of another.

He eluded anther onslaught of claws and tongues, weaving in and out as his knife drew blood, the crimson liquid spattering on the floor, the walls. The metal, soaked in scarlet, gleamed wickedly in the flickering light, and he shoved it into the heart of a Licker. He spun and lashed out with a back kick, driving his foot into the core of another unlucky Licker.

He picked up his knife and lifted it to block a swiping claw attack from the last Licker. They held for a moment, at a stalemate, until the Licker opened his mouth to pierce with its tongue.

Leon tilted his head to avoid deadly impalement, spun around and slammed his instep into the head of the Licker, which crashed to the floor, dazed by the brutal blow. And then Leon finished it with a final stab to its heart.

Leon leaned against the wall, taking the time to catch his breath.

And then he realized he didn't need to. He wasn't out of breath, he wasn't even remotely tired. He slew a horde of Lickers with a single knife, and he didn't feel any kind of exhaustion.

It made him think about Steve's earlier question.

_What are you?_

He didn't want to admit it, but it was a good question. Was he still human?

_Or are you a monster?_

Leon ignored the little voice that had posed that question in his mind, and bent over to reclaim his knife. And then he saw something glimmering underneath the corpse of the Licker. He reached over and picked the green cardkey, helpfully labeled Basement Key B. He scavenged through the other corpses until he found its twin, this one labeled Basement Key A.

He slid them through their respective slots and the elevators doors slid open.

After a short ride, he arrived at the first basement floor, which was merely a circular room, one half of the walls dedicated to monitors that oversaw the entire building. The other side held a platform, and atop the platform was a hologram in the form of a young girl.

"You are an unauthorized figure."

"Who are you?" Leon supposed he should've asked 'what,' but he had been slightly taken aback by her appearance.

"I am EVA, the security system for this structure."

"Well, you haven't done a great job of that. The place was crawling with Lickers."

"One of our specimens broke loose and also allowed the Beta Lickers to be released as well. I have managed to contain all other experimental subjects and B.O.W.s as well as the viral samples."

"Where's Claire?"

"Claire? I am unfamiliar with that particular employee."

"No, she's a girl who was brought here by something."

"Oh, that girl. Well, it seems the specimen that broke loose is the one who brought her here. I don't know exactly why he would return…"

Leon suddenly had a bad feeling, "This specimen of yours… It wouldn't happen to be one of the T-Veronica virus, would it?"

"Actually, it is. How did you know?"

"Shit, I knew we shouldn't have trusted him."

"Really, you have me curious now. How do you know all this? And exactly what are you? You're like no other B.O.W. I've seen before."

"What?"

"The virus inside you probably stems from the Progenitor virus, but even though it is a T-virus variant, it only affects ocular tissue, muscle tissue and the lower organs, leaving your brain and cognitive functions intact. The virus augments your metabolism, amplifying your physical abilities and regenerative facilities to superhuman levels."

Leon opened his mouth to ask about a cure, but then there was a shrill scream, issuing from the speakers of the monitors. He turned and saw that the scream had come from Claire. "Claire!!!" He shouted at the monitors, watching as she cowered against the wall as Steve advanced upon her.

"Dammit. Which floor is she on?"

"The third floor, but I cannot grant you access."

"Why not?"

"I must keep all lower levels quarantined in order to prevent the T-Veronica specimen from escaping."

"She's in danger, isn't your job to keep innocent people safe?"

"I have weighed all variables and the safest choice is to keep the basement floors under lockdown."

A strangled snarl escaped Leon's throat. While he was standing here, arguing with artificial intelligence, Claire was…

"What if I subdued the specimen? That way I can rescue the girl, and then you'll have your rogue back under lock and key."

EVA deliberated for a moment, "Considering your capability, it does have a high chance of success. Very well. Take this."

A door in the ground slid open, and a table rose from the depths, holding a single suitcase.

Leon opened it to find an oddly shaped gun.

"That is a type of tranquilizer we use to subdue and subjugate B.O.W.s. It should be effective against the specimen, but there is only enough for a single dose."

Leon holstered the exotic gun, "I'll be sure not to miss then."

"Now, if you'll step into the elevator, I will send you to the third floor, the research level. Please be careful not to kill the specimen."

"Should I be more careful in trying to keep the specimen from killing me?"

"That's a given."

Leon shook his head as the elevator doors shut and the pod descended. Just another reason why he didn't like the idea of A.I. running security systems. Sometimes, they were just too smart for their own good.

The elevator slowed to a stop, and as soon as the doors were open, Leon was out, his weapon up and ready. But the hallway was deserted…

"Claire?" He called out.

"Leon!!!"

One of the doors blew open, and Claire came flying out, colliding with the wall and then crumpling to the floor.

"Claire!!!" Leon made it halfway down the hall, but Steve walked out, his eyes burning a furious red.

"Steve," Claire said weakly, "Please, stop."

"What, so you can go running back to Prince Charming over there?" Steve snarled. He glanced at Leon, "You, I'll deal with next."

"You're not going to be dealing with anyone," Leon growled, "Not when I'm through with you, you asshole." Fury seemed to be coursing through his veins; damn what that stupid machine said, he wanted to rip this fucker apart with his bare hands.

"It's all your fault!!!" Steve howled and lunged at him.

"Right, I'm sure that's just your perverse fantasies speaking," Leon grunted as he evaded the attack.

Steve swiped with his hand, which now had clawed digits tinged with green, "If she hadn't met you, I wouldn't have to hurt her. If only you weren't here, she'd love me!!!"

Leon dodged again, "God, that virus must have seriously fucked up your mind."

"Shut up!!! You don't understand the hell I went through. But I overcame it all, for her. And yet, she spurns me… Because of you!!!" He sliced again, and Leon surreptitiously reached for the tranquilizer.

Leon grabbed Steve's wrist, twisted his arm back, kicked him down to his knees, and pinned him to the ground, "You're delusional. I'd recommend a psychologist, but I don't think even they'd be willing to serve freaks like you." He jabbed the needle into Steve's neck, "Good night."

Steve struggled, cursing and spitting expletives, but finally settled into induced sleep.

Leon rushed to Claire, gently brushing back her hair, "You okay?"

Claire coughed and massaged her chest, "I've been better. He hit me pretty hard." Her eyes were filled with sadness, "The virus must've… He never would've done that. He acted tough, but he was real sweet. He wouldn't…" She trailed off.

"I'm not surprised that the virus changed him. Umbrella has a way of messing with your mind."

Claire blinked as tears slid down her cheeks, "Oh, Steve."

Leon tenderly brushed away the salty drops, his golden cat-eyes smoldering with intensity, and Claire felt shivers travel down her spine. His left hand was ruffling through her hair, while his other hand slid up her sternum, all the up to the base of her throat.

"Well, the good thing is you have broken or fractured anything," Leon said matter-of-factly, "And you're not bleeding from the head either."

Claire sighed, and here she was thinking that maybe Leon Kennedy felt something for her. Nothing more than brotherly concern.

Jeez, what was she thinking? But she couldn't help it. She really liked Leon, like his witty comments, his smiles, his toned, lean body…

Reality check, Claire, he likes Ada.

Even a zombie could see that Leon was in love with Ada, right from when they first met, and Claire could understand why. The Asian woman was tough and beautiful, femme fatale, the kind that men always chased after.

Even now, Leon was still attracted to her, though it wasn't as obvious as in Raccoon City. When he had told Claire about the run-in with Spain, his eyes went all faraway, clearly occupied by only thoughts of her.

Leon noticed Claire staring at him and grinned, "See something you like?"

Claire blinked, _Yes. _"Uh, I was just thinking that, uhm…" She fumbled for words, "I've never seen you do a hair flip." _Oh, wow, that is so lame, Claire._

"A what?"

"A hair flip. Or a hair toss, I don't really know the term for it. You know…" She tossed her bangs to the side and out of her eyes, "I figured you'd do it all the time since your hair is always in your face."

Leon laughed at that, "It's never really bothered me. You do it like this?" He tossed his hair, but it quickly returned to its former position.

Claire giggled, "Yeah." _Damn, he looked sexy while he was doing that._

"I don't see much point in doing it."

"Well, yeah. But it's like a habit I've noticed for people with long bangs."

"Huh. Well, as interesting as this topic is, I think we better get out of here."

"Yeah, sure."

Leon cradled Claire against his chest and lifted her up, carrying her bridal-style. Claire blushed when a little "Oh!" escaped her lips, and told him, "Uhm, I'm capable of walking, you know."

"I thought as much. But it doesn't hurt to be chivalrous. Oh, yeah. You're brother's here."

"Here, as in this building?"

"No, on the island."

"You saw him?"

"Yeah, we met up for a bit, and then we had to, uh, split up to search for you. Jill was with him, so I'm sure he's okay."

"Oh, I'm sure my brother can take care of himself," Claire said, "The thing that bothers me, though, is that it feels like we're all right where Wesker wants us."

Leon smiled grimly, "We probably are. But that doesn't mean we're gonna let him use us."

The elevator pinged, and the doors slid open, taking them back to the first floor.

"Well done," EVA said approvingly.

"Indeed… Well done, indeed."

Claire stiffened when she recognized the oily tone, and Wesker emerged into view, shades and arrogant smirk in place. "Mr. Kennedy," he purred, "I don't believe we've actually met. A pleasure."

"Can't say I agree," Leon said, setting Claire down and reaching for his gun.

"Come now, we don't have to go through all this unpleasantness."

"I think we do." Leon brought the gun around and fired at Wesker, who easily managed to dodge each one of them.

Wesker flitted towards Leon, twisted the gun out of his grasp, and landed a well-placed jab into Leon's stomach.

Leon grunted and quickly recovered. He deflected a punch and thrust the heel of his palm into Wesker's chest.

Wesker stumbled back a few steps, and Leon took the chance to launch a roundhouse kick, aiming for the head. Wesker ducked and used a sweeping kick to knock Leon to the ground. Then he lifted his leg up for a hammer kick, which Leon dodged by rolling to the side.

Leon was glad he didn't get hit by that. The devastating blow had left its mark on the floor in the form of a deep hole.

Wesker laughed, "You've adapted well, Leon. Frankly, I'm impressed."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, I know all about the virus inside you. In fact…" He pulled off his shades, revealing his eyes to be almost exactly like Leon's, except his were a blazing crimson, "You could say I have personal experience with it."

"You're…" Leon was speechless. He remembered Chris' reaction when they had met earlier, and now he realized why Redfield had been so tense, so wary.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to end this game soon. I'm a busy man, after all." Wesker smirked and darted in.

_Too fast, _Leon thought as Wesker jabbed an elbow in his stomach, _I can't keep up…_

Bang, bang. Claire had taken the opportunity to fire, but Wesker dodged both easily, as if it were merely a walked in the park. Leon lashed out with his fist as he spun around, only to hit nothing but air.

"A valiant attempt," Wesker whispered into his ear, "But not good enough." He grabbed Leon's head and slammed it into the wall.

The last thought that went to through Leon's mind, just before he lost consciousness was, _Claire… Claire… Don't… Hurt… Her…_

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

"It's secure." Ada said as she entered the observation room, staring through the one-way window.

"You're sure this room can hold him?" She asked, "From what you've said, it seems he's gotten much stronger."

"The walls and the mirror has been reinforced to withstand blows from even Tyrants," Wesker said confidently, "Mr. Kennedy won't be going anywhere."

And then he would become the instrument of Wesker's revenge.


End file.
